Gazidis Thanks The Supporters

As something of a precursor to tonight`s Q & A with the Arsenal Supporters` Trust, Ivan Gazidis has been speaking to arsenal.com about Arsenal`s ambitions for the summer and beyond. Tonight Gazidis will face around 300 Arsenal supporters from AISA, RedAction and the AST. This year, the size of the audience has been somewhat trimmed compared to last year`s meeting and questions have been presubmitted on this occasion.

There`s plenty of cynicism around pre submittance, but the advantages it brings are that it allows Gazidis time to prepare full and frank answers. The event will be compered too, which thankfully avoids the usual unnecessary pre waffle one sometimes gets from those taking the microphone. You know the sort I mean, "I`ve been a supporter for x amount of years, I do this, that and the other and for good measure, I`m going to throw my offbeat opinion in here and assert it as fact before getting round to actually asking my question, which is all anyone is really interested in anyway." The club assure there will be questions taken from the floor too, though given the number of questions they say they`ll field in the 90 minute timeslot, I`m dubious as to how much time there will be.

I`m reliably informed that the club haven`t ducked any issues though and questions on the future of van Persie, the implications of FFP, the club`s summer transfer strategy and whether lessons have been learned and also on the rights issue offered by Red & White holdings will all be fielded. I guess we`ll wait and see what answers we get, but it`s worth pointing out not every club`s CEO takes these kind of questions. The issue as to what`s happened to the Q & A Arsene Wenger used to hold with shareholders is perhaps a thornier issue as it appears to have quietly dropped off the radar. In any case, I will be one of the 300 in attendance and a neutral, dispassionate account of the evening penned by me will appear on the AST website tomorrow morning. My own opinions on Gazidis` answers and performance will probably be saved for this forum!

In any case, Gazidis somewhat pre empted the event by speaking to the official website on a variety of subjects. As is his wont he made the right noises with regards to the club`s ambition this summer. My message to our fans is that we are doing everything in our power to make sure that Arsenal can challenge for trophies next year. That is what this summer is about and that is what we are focused on.

"We have a good team, we have a good young core of players and we need everybody involved to have belief so that we can push forward into next year and make a run at the Premier League trophy and for the Champions League. We believe we can do that."

The CEO also paid tribute to the support the club has enjoyed, "I would like to thank the supporters. This at times has been a really challenging season," he said.

"The Club was placed under terrific pressure at times and I think, for a different club, there would have been the possibility that we would begin to fall apart, panic and make decisions that would have been bad. That is not what happened.

"When we had our most difficult times this Club came together. The supporters, the team, the front-office staff and the back-office staff - they all came together. It was that strength and that unity that managed to put our season back on track."I know opinions on the silver tongued Chief Executive are varied, for what it`s worth I think he has a harder job than most people realise. Essentially his is a delicate balancing act between an absentee owner, a manager that wants to be an autocrat and a very tetchy fanbase. It`s hard to see how he can do his job without upsetting at least two of those factions as things stand. Tonight he answers to the most vocal leg of this tripod. LD.

NB: I won't be live tweeting the meeting myself, but for live updates I'd recommend following one or all of the following:

Your Comments (oldest first)

He does have a tough job but he's very well renumerated for it. Looking forward to nothing really coming from this tonight to be honest, will be interested though, actions ulitmately speak louder than words, I'm not sure on the timings of the meeting, but it would be nice for the club to be held accountable for some of the stuff they've promised over the last few years. "you cannot be a big club and sell your best players" for example.

I guess we'll have to judge Gazidis on his actions and results by the start of the season. You have to think he simply cannot afford to have a Summer where we don't make further quality additions to the squad without him losing credibility. Let's hope the guaranteed CL spot means they will be more decisive and achieve their objectives, but not holding my breath.

I guess we'll have to judge Gazidis on his actions and results by the start of the season. You have to think he simply cannot afford to have a Summer where we don't make further quality additions to the squad without him losing credibility. Let's hope the guaranteed CL spot means they will be more decisive and achieve their objectives, but not holding my breath.

Not sure I expect an awful lot from it either. Some studied, almost political answers. Might get the occasional interesting titbit such as "Arsene is ultimately accountable to the fans." Bet he got a right bollocking for that last year!

He did seem to hint very broadly that the automatic qualification made a difference to how they could address the summer. (By extension, also a tacit admission that being in a qualifier was an obstruction to our business). I'd be very surprised now if we get any business done whilst the Euros are going on. I think I'm under no illusions that nothing groundbreaking will be said tonight. But at the very least we get to ask the questions. When I look at the likes of the Venky's who leave the phone off the hook whilst the club is asset stripped and left to rot in their absence, I guess I'm thankful for small mercies given the way the game has gone.

"We have a good team, we have a good young core of players and we need everybody involved to have belief so that we can push forward into next year and make a run at the Premier League trophy and for the Champions League. We believe we can do that." Actions speak louder than words Ivan, make sure you back these (oft repeated words) with assertive direction and plenty of cash for the manager to spend.

One can expect completely frank opinions from a former gunner turned pundit about the club or a former manager of the club but a serving Chief Executive is always going to have his limitations in answering some of the fans queries. In that sense what is important is that Gazidis understands the general mood of the fans well which in turn drives the club to better manage this season's transfer business and sign lucrative commercial deals going forward.

This will be a complete waste of everyones time that attends. He could have just as well answered all the questions received in front of the camera. I'm liking this guy less and less every year. If we don't see better management from Arsenal this summer then the fans will have to take a stand.

This "silent pact" on RVP's future doesn't bode well......If there was anything positive to talk about, Arsenal would want to be telling everyone about it. Am I looking at it through tinted glass? What do you chaps think about it?

SER - Here is my take. RVP will leave if we dont sign the players that will make im stay. Arsenal have requested he give them the time to recruit, and if nothing, then he can leave. They don't want him to talk so our transfer Plans will not be messed up. For me i will look to see what ManCity and Juvetus does in the Transfer market. If any of them sign a striker, they are out otherwise he will leave for the team.

Sajit, Robin hasnt left the building yet. As of now, Arsenal and United have each added ONE player while Chelsea have added two (Hazard & Marin). Signing good players before the Euros is difficult - City have signed no one after missing out on Hazard. We need signings no doubt but the facts point out that you are being a bit impatient.

If the club had got any joy out of Robin they'd have shouted it from the rooftops by now. Nope the radio silence does not bode well, despite what Ivans' smooth politicking about what a great meeting was had with the player yet strangely both parties have agreed to delay on the happy announcement of the obviously glad tidings lol. In what circumstances is it of any benefit to basically put the support through torture if the outcome is in any way positive? What is the point of not announcing Van Persie if it's been resolved and he's staying? The only reason it hasn't been announced that he's off is to enable us to get in Robins' replacement ie another striking option without being held to ransom. It's so depressingly patently obvious I'm afraid.

Patience DF? I showed plenty of patience last summer and it just went on and on and we were ultimately screwed over by every club. The paypackets of Stan Kroenke increased and our football suffered.
Im done showing patience.

I guess we have to accept Robin could leave; I agree if it was that much of a "good discussion", there is no reason why we can't make an immediate announcement, if only to assuage the feelings of the long suffering fans. Of course, there is the chance that he stays, but only to see off his contract then go for a bumper contract to prepare him for retirement. (see what all of the suspense has turned us fans into?)

Judging from the Twitter feeds Ivan made it clear that Arsenal are holding out for the FFP rules to be implement before becoming some kind of superpower. It's something I've long susspected and whilst it's great in theory I'm almost positive the likes of Man City and Chelsea will find some way to weasel around it and we'll be left in exactly the same position we're in right now ... fighting for scraps. May aswell bite the bullet, spend some dough and try and recoup some of it through actually winning things. Arsene Wenger has been holding all of this together, he is the single most important cog in this entire plan, that is obvious now. We need him to continue to qualify for the CL whilst making a profit. There is no other coach in the world who could do it, there is no "Project youth" as some arse holes like to call it, there is no grand deception or people trying to make profit to line the pockets of fat cats, there's a Frenchman doing all he can for the club he loves who appears to have put all their eggs into one basket. The bed has been laid and he must lie in it. Wenger, it appears to me, has been covering the arses of everyone connected with Arsenal football club. I just hope this doesn't go wrong and Wenger has his legend tainted when it should be enhanced.

If we have to rely on the FFP and have hinged everything on it, then we need to gather support from a few other like minded, disadvantaged yet powerful clubs, without necessarily campaigning. You would feel it won't be long before sides like Liverpool and United will start to apply the pressure on FIFA and UEFA, should the trend of being "out-muscled" financially, continue in player acquisition or retention. Otherwise, we must start spending too and shelve the plan to hurriedly repay our loans so as to be able to compete.

Rocky. My feeling is the clubs aren't actually taking the FFP seriously. I think they believe that come 2014/15 when UEFA see how many clubs haven't complied they will scrap it altogether. But here's the thing. The EU court for sports arbitration has just passed the FFP as constitution, meaning there's no turning back now. Clubs will not be able to fight there suspensions in court. Teams like City and Chelsea will fade away as players are deprived of European football and lets face facts. Their commercial success is ZERO. The only way they can attract players is with huge salaries. That model is doomed. And if a player has to choose between city or United purely from a footballing aspect? City will lose every time.

You being Sarky Scotch? He's just won the league, we can't really claim that too much. So in concluision Ivan, we'll just shut up and wait for another 3 years yeah? You keep cashing those fat bonus cheques pal. I wish someone had simply asked Why is Kroenke here???

He may of won the league mate, but up until last summer, if you said to a player which club has the best chance of winning trophies it would of been Utd EVERY single time as that is there past and recent history, especially considering City's recent history for choking when it matters (CL qualification 2 years ago, league the year after). Anyone choosing City would of for the money as the only thing City could offer over Utd was a higher salary. he may have won the league, but that was a by product of choosing the club with the higher wages, not choosing the club with the best chance. hindsight is 20/20 no?

As an aside shewore, we didn't have the fiscally 'roided up clubs to compete with when we were winning titles. Even if we spent heavily now they'd just spend more, we would not be able to match them and the cycle continues ad infinitum. There are many valid questions yet to be answered regarding Kroenke, I agree with you totally, but to use Nasri "winning" the league to beat us with is way off base. The blokes a money grabbing ***t and was lucky the team he chose for purely financial reasons, won the title on goal difference with minimal help from him. David May won the treble remember mate.....

I'm not using it as a stick to beat anyone with, I just think it's almost fair enough to say Nasri didn't just leave purely cos of money, he may've but he's got a nice medal now to tell us to fk off with. City were always gonna start winning the thing at some point.

That is true sir, but he won as a by product of his greed, not because of some shrewd piece of foresight. He's to stupid for that. he can tell us to ***k off all he likes, we'll always be Arsenal fans and he'll always be a greedy, self serving, 3 chinned, buck toothed transvestite lol

What sort of bubble do these guys live in ? FFP my ******** arse! Chelesea and City and other big clubs will find a way to get around that *****. There are plenty of loopholes in the law and im sure they will find ways to get around it. Besides, we all said the 25 squad rule would benefit Arsenal coz now clubs cannot have endless supply of superstars. Guess who won the league...

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